The invention is directed to massage devices and more particularly to hand held resilient ball type massage devices. Various types and configurations of hand held massage devices are known in the art. Some examples of these prior art devices are as follows:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,886,544; 2,011,471; 2,168,842; 2,621,652; 2,633,844; 2,691,978; 3,060,928; 4,374,519 and 4,554,911 generally teach hand held massage devices in which the resilient or non-resilient rollers rotate independent of each other and the handles are fixed in position, i.e. non-rotatable.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,246,263 teaches a hand implement that has a fixed in position handle and a split shaft for containing the rollers which rotate independently of each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,324 teaches a massage roller with independently mounted rollers and freely rotatable handles. The handles can be translated toward the rollers to bind up the rotation of the rollers and handles. The handles cannot rotate freely when the rollers rotate together.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,683 teaches a exercise-massaging device that binds the handles and rollers together in its normal configuration and requires compressing the handle springs to disengage the handles from the rollers. The handles are not rotatable relative to the central shaft 4.
These devices are hard to manipulate, do not apply even pressure over the body area covered, are not sufficiently or solid in construction and, therefore, do not apply suitable massage action over the body areas covered thereby.
There has not been a simple and effective hand manipulated massage device until the emergence of the present invention.